President’s Associates Award
The President's Associates Outstanding Faculty Award is given annually to tenured faculty for the advancement of teaching and learning. This award of $1000 is designed to honor faculty who have sustained high achievement as teachers and whose scholarship makes a meaningful contribution to student learning.
2020 Recipient
Associate Professor Jill DeTemple, Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences
Professor DeTemple is a Professor of Religious Studies. In their recommendation letter, three of her colleagues described her as “one
of the best teachers – perhaps the best – we have ever encountered in higher education.” Dr. DeTemple is an Altshuler award winner and has
had remarkable student evaluations. Her student evaluations include comments such as “there was never a time that I left her class without
having plenty to think about and to discuss in the next meeting,” and “the class was great, but man, it was hard. I’d argue that this was the
hardest class I’ve taken at SMU. The expectations were high and the workload was intense. It was absolutely worth it though.” Further,
Professor DeTemple has won a national teaching award and conducts research and receives grants related to dialogic teaching methods.